“The Extraordinary Hybrids,” “The Bear Woman,” “The Ugliest Woman in the World.” .. are some of the nicknames people have given to this woman.
Contemporary researchers believed she was a hybrid between a human and an orangutan, convinced they had discovered a lost connection. It’s not just her appearance; the story of her life is also one of the most unique in history.
According to the open encyclopedia, Julia Pastrana (1834-1860) was a Mexican dancer who suffered from hypertrichosis. The condition Julia Pastrana had was incurable. Her entire face and body were covered with black hair, and her ears and nose were unusually large, with her teeth being oversized and irregularly spaced.
Theodor Lent, who later became Pastrana’s husband, is believed to have discovered her and purchased her from someone whom the public speculated was her biological mother. Lent taught Pastrana to dance and play music, then took her on tour around the world under the name “Bearded and Hairy Lady.” Despite her unappealing appearance, Julia Pastrana was an intelligent, sweet woman who spoke three languages. The tours helped Julia Pastrana escape poverty from the moment she was born and allowed her to travel the world.
The “One and Only” Woman
It is believed that Julia Pastrana was born into a Native American tribe living in the western slopes of Mexico. No one knows about her early years until she first appeared in public in 1834, when she was introduced at Gothic Hall on Broadway.
In the public’s eyes, Julia Pastrana indeed had a dramatic debut. Her body was covered in hair, and her face was similarly hairy. On that hairy face, one jaw protruded, and her gums were swollen, pushing her teeth outward. These features only added to the peculiarity of her appearance.
Standing at about 1.3 meters tall, one could say she resembled a special monkey more than a young woman. Yet, she had a commendable sense of self-respect. In front of thousands of spectators, Julia gently looked down and sang with her most beautiful voice. She was fully aware of the fact that she was different, but she used that difference and her strong personality to overcome her fate.
Julia Pastrana is believed to be a bear hybrid.
After moving to Cleveland with her new manager, Julia began to captivate and astonish audiences with her grace. She started gaining fame, even being invited to perform at important gatherings and military exhibitions. Soon after, she began a tour across the United States.
At that time, England became highly interested in Julia and promoted her through major newspapers. The public began calling her the “Mysterious Human,” similar to how we refer to things that remain unexplained today. The media struggled to gather complete information about her and were astonished to learn that Julia was not only a famous singer but also fluent in several languages, including Spanish and English.
Unable to Overcome Fate
At that time, she was managed by Theodore Lent, who helped her practice dancing and performing on stage. She tried her best to be famous on stage rather than being referred to as a monster as they often labeled people like her. After receiving a warm welcome in London, Julia began her tour to Berlin, Germany, where significant changes occurred in her appearance, transitioning from bizarre performances to that of a stage diva. She made her debut in a play that blended romance and comedy titled Der Curierte Meyer.
At that time, she received numerous marriage proposals. This made Lent realize that if he did not want to lose the “treasure,” he only had one option: to marry Julia himself. In 1857, they married, and although Julia regularly appeared by his side, he treated her like an item and became increasingly enthusiastic about exploiting her. While on a tour from the Netherlands to Russia, Julia discovered she was pregnant. On March 20, 1860, Julia gave birth to her first son, a hairy child who lived for only 35 hours. Just five days after her son’s death, Julia passed away.
Even in Death, She Found No Peace
It was hoped that after her death, Julia would be buried with dignity and treated like the lady she once was. However, that did not happen as her husband was unwilling to overlook the profit potential from his wife, even in death. Lent sold her body and that of her son to a professor at Moscow University. The professor dissected their bodies and embalmed them to display in the university museum, where they could attract numerous visitors.
However, that was not the end. Lent exploited public outrage and took legal action to reclaim her body. And he won the case. In 1862, Julia was brought back to England by her wretched husband and displayed once again, humiliated. Julia’s body was draped in a dance dress. Her first son was dressed in a sailor suit and placed on a pedestal for display, just as they had done with his unfortunate mother.
Thousands of curious onlookers flocked to see the remains of the unfortunate woman and her son for just a penny. Julia’s remains were moved back and forth between the university and the museum. Eventually, when the crowds dwindled, Lent sold her body to someone who could provide him with the highest profit. But the story did not end there.
Strangely, Lent remarried a woman who closely resembled Julia, and over time, he forced everyone to believe that his new wife was Julia’s sister. He named her Zenora Pastrana. Not long after, he took Julia’s remains on a tour with his newlywed wife. Eventually, Lent and his new bride settled in Saint Petersburg (Russia) and opened a shop in a wax museum.
Later, Lent suffered a nervous breakdown and eventually had to be treated in a mental health facility in town. Not long after, he passed away. Zenora, his new wife, continued to carry the remains with her on her travels. Eventually, she married a much younger man. From then on, for decades, Julia’s remains would appear and disappear.
In a coffin, the remains of Julia and her less than a month-old son were passed from person to person, from country to country like merchandise. It wasn’t until one day in 1976 that the supposedly secure storage facility holding her remains was broken into and destroyed. The child’s body was torn apart. Julia’s remains were moved again, and the cycle of events continued.
Finally, in 1990, the body of Julia was found in the basement of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Oslo, Norway. Her remains are still preserved there today. With compassion and a sense of ethics, we have come to recognize that she was not only uniquely beautiful but also a woman of dignity and virtue. Many hope that one day soon, she will be given a proper burial, and a statue will be erected to remind us all that: This is the woman of courage.
